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Fantascience Digest, v. 2, issue 2, January-February 1939
Page 16
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Page 16 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST OUT of SPACE PAUL DENNIS The ship was very quiet, save for the patter of meteoric dust impacting against the hull. Somewhere a bell tinkled above the muffled thud of the driving units as a chronometer announced the hour. All these were the usual sounds of a night in space, and went unnoticed by the man seated in the pilot room, his stylus scratching softly as he made an entry into the log book. "11:00:00, August 3, 2335," he wrote. "Terra and Planetary Space Portals S.C. 67 R 3, on routine patrol of Band 5. All quiet, lanes clear of major obstructions, proceeding under automatic. . ." He started suddenly and looked up, an expression of surprise on his thin features. He had heard a strange noise, a rippling , piercing shriek. It was an unusual noise in itself, and even more so in space, where no noise at all should be. The sound that had aroused him -- that had startled him out of his absorbed concentration -- was still rining in his ears as he stood and started about. That scream had never come from a human throat. . . . "That's funny," he muttered, "I could have sworn. . .Probably fell asleep for a moment, I suppose." He resumed his work, only to stop again as he heard someone running along the catwalk outside. The door was thrust open and another man -- hardly more than a boy -- ran in. "Jac!" he gasped through terror-stiffened lips. "Did you hear that?" Jac, hardened veteran of space, nodded quietly, showing nothing of his thoughts. Then he [[underline]]had[[end underline]] heard a sound -- a sound never meant for the hears of a man. . "I heard something," he admitted. "Sounded like a brace creaking someplace. this boat is pretty old, you know -- it's not as tight as an E & M liner."
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Page 16 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST OUT of SPACE PAUL DENNIS The ship was very quiet, save for the patter of meteoric dust impacting against the hull. Somewhere a bell tinkled above the muffled thud of the driving units as a chronometer announced the hour. All these were the usual sounds of a night in space, and went unnoticed by the man seated in the pilot room, his stylus scratching softly as he made an entry into the log book. "11:00:00, August 3, 2335," he wrote. "Terra and Planetary Space Portals S.C. 67 R 3, on routine patrol of Band 5. All quiet, lanes clear of major obstructions, proceeding under automatic. . ." He started suddenly and looked up, an expression of surprise on his thin features. He had heard a strange noise, a rippling , piercing shriek. It was an unusual noise in itself, and even more so in space, where no noise at all should be. The sound that had aroused him -- that had startled him out of his absorbed concentration -- was still rining in his ears as he stood and started about. That scream had never come from a human throat. . . . "That's funny," he muttered, "I could have sworn. . .Probably fell asleep for a moment, I suppose." He resumed his work, only to stop again as he heard someone running along the catwalk outside. The door was thrust open and another man -- hardly more than a boy -- ran in. "Jac!" he gasped through terror-stiffened lips. "Did you hear that?" Jac, hardened veteran of space, nodded quietly, showing nothing of his thoughts. Then he [[underline]]had[[end underline]] heard a sound -- a sound never meant for the hears of a man. . "I heard something," he admitted. "Sounded like a brace creaking someplace. this boat is pretty old, you know -- it's not as tight as an E & M liner."
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